Biography
Tcheka entered the world as Manuel Lopes Andrade on July 20, 1973, in Santiago, one of the islands forming Cape Verde, where he was the son of the violinist Nho Raul Andrade. Performances alongside his father began during his childhood years. By the time he reached fifteen, batuque had captured his attention, prompting him to craft a contemporary take on the genre’s longstanding rhythms native to Santiago. His debut full-length recording, Argui! (“rise” or “stand up”), appeared on the Lusafrica imprint in 2003 and was succeeded two years later by Nu Monda (“weeding”). North American audiences first encountered him in June 2007 when he served as the opening act for Césaria Évora.
Albums
